Surgical cast



Feb. 29, 1944.

E. S. RINALDY SURGICAL CAST Filed Feb. 8, 1943 Edward E1- Rinuly Patented Feb. 29, 1944 2,342,695

UNITED STATES thaTENT OFFICE SURGICAL CAST Edward S. Rinaldy, Chester, N. J.

Application February 8, 1943, Serial No. 475,161

6 Claims. (01. 128-317) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and means for cutting plaster casts that are positioned and set on fractured or broken bones of the body.

The present surgical practice for removing plaster casts that have been set about a broken 10 section of pliable copper tubing that is twisted to bone is for the surgeon to use a form of long firmly engage the wire. Only one such anchor handled shears which are adapted to cut through is made. This anchor is then positioned at the the casts. This form of removal is relatively slow point where the cast is to terminate. A wire and painful. In addition, in the removal of the similar in construction to wire I is likewise posicast in this manner, the cast is broken, with the tioned on the opposite side of the cast having an result that it cannot be used again. Another obanchor and set in the same manner as described jection to this form of removal is that the undersupra. Both wires are then drawn taut and the side of the shears, in some instances, presses wrapping of the cast material 3 is made over both against the body of the patient with resultant wires until completed to any desired thickness as pain and discomfort. indicated by the dotted line of Figure 1. It will A primary object of the present invention is to be apparent by the procedure set forth that the provide means and apparatus by which a firmly cast when completed will have an antipodal set set cast can be quickly and effectively removed in of wires encased therein. In the molding of the a period of about seconds. cast, care should be exercised that the anchor- An important feature of the present invention containing portion of the Wire is enclosed comis that, by the use of the apparatus herein depletely within the cast so that it becomes encased scribed, a cast can be removed from a. patient integrally with the cast. The loose end of the with a minimum of discomfort and pain. Anwire is then folded back over the cast and taped other feature of the invention is that by removal down, so that the ends are made safe and will not of the cast in the manner herein described, the 39 dangle. cast can be reapplied to the member if it is dis- For the removal of the cast, the following covered that the fractured bone is not sufficiently technique is used in conjunction with the appaknitted together to permit permanent removal of ratus hereinafter described, forming part of my the cast. invention. The preferred embodiment comprises While the invention will be described in applia shaft 4, having afiixed at each end thereof a cation to the Setting and removal of a cast from pair of handles 5 and 6 respectively. Handle 5 the leg of a person, it is obvious that similar and is permanently affixed to one end of the shaft 4, like practices can be utilized in connection with while handle 6 is so constructed that it is removthe setting and removal of a cast from any memable at will. Any conventional type of set screw, ber or part of the body. 40 bayonet slot, or spring arrangement may be uti- The invention can best be understood from the lized for the removal of handle 6 from the shaft. following description to be read in view of the Slidably engaged on shaft 4 is a drum 1, which drawing in which: has two passageways, 8 and 9, respectively, ap- Figure 1 is a sectional view of cast applied to a proximately 3% in. in diameter extending theremember and means for removing the same; through positioned in a pair of channelled Figure 2 is an enlarged view in detail of the grooves I0 and II. It is understood that neither anchoring means forming part of the cast. of the handles 5 and 6, or drum 1, is rotatable Fi ure 3 is a sectional view of anoth r a licaabout the shaft 4. If desired, handles 5 and 6 tion of the invention, showing the cast applied may h ve fing r grips or serrated edges in order to a, curved urf-ace; to provide a firm grip hold.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the connecting To remove the cast after being set in the manmeans shown in Figure 3; ner described above, one loose end of the wire is Figure 5 is a view of the cast removing mechauntaped and p ssed through one of the passagenism; ways in the drum I with one or two windings.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line The handles 5 and 6 are then grasped and re- 6-6 of Figure 5, and volved in the direction toward the base end of the Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line cast where in the extreme end the wire is anl--'l. of Figure 5. chored. This will cause the drawing of the wire In applying a cast to a. leg as shown on Figure 1, up through the cast, cutting the cast in its pasthe leg is first covered with gauze or a net stocksage and causing the wire to be drawn on to the ing, to prevent adhering of the plaster cast to the leg.

A wire i of high tensile strength, preferably No. 20 gauge, is then positioned along the entire length of the member where the cast is to be formed, and, in addition, extends about 3 inches beyond each point where the cast is to terminate. One end of the wire is then positioned by fastening it to an anchor 2, preferably made of a small drum. After one side of the cast is cut in this manner, the under side of the cast having contained therein the other wire is cut in the same manner. The cast can then be readily removed by lifting each portion away from the member.

In placing of the cutting wire, care must be taken to prevent it from being placed in a cast of a convex portion of the body, such as the heel of a foot, as it is evident that traction and drag at the end of the Wire as, for instance, when removing the cast will cause it to cut through the underside of the cast and cause pressure against that portion of the body. If it is necessary to place a cast over a convex member of the body, two wires will preferably be placed on each side of the cast, one extending from the end of the cast to that portion of the body where it begins to curve, and another wire from the other extreme end of the cast to the junction point of the first wire as shown in Figure 3. In cases Where a cast is to be removed from a portion of the body which, because of its shape and contour, will not permit ready access of the two handles of the cast remover, handle 6 may be removed. The drum 7 can then be moved over to the extreme end of the shaft and handle alone can be turned to operate the cast cutter in the manner described heretofore.

Casts prepared and removed in the manner described above have been removed in relatively short periods of time, that is from to 60 seconds. In addition, it is obvious that a cast removed in this manner will have clean-cut edges, with the result that the cast may be re-used and reset upon the same member on which it was originally set, if it is discovered that the member needs additional cast treatment.

While there has been herein described a cast cutter of particular shape and design, it is obvious that modifications may be made in the shape and design of any of the component parts with out departure from the spirit and scop of the invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a device for removing a cast from a body 1iinb, the combination of a pair of wires placed, preparatory to forming the said cast, next to the limb and on opposite sides thereof, the said wires being provided at one end With means for anchoring the said ends in the cast, the said wires being surhciently long to extend beyond the cast, a spindle, a drum provided with a pair of circumferential grooves, one for each of the said pair of wires, the said drum tapering outwardly to form enlarged ends adapted to roll directly on the said cast and to space the middle portion of the drum and the said pair of grooves away from the cast, the said drum being feathered on the said spindle whereby the drum may be shifted axially in coiling the wires thereon, and means for securing the said free end of the wires in the said drum grooves.

2. In a device for removing a cast from a body limb, the combination of a pair of wires placed, preparatory to forming the said cast, next to the limb and on opposite sides thereof, the said wires being provided at one end with means for anchoring the said ends in the cast, the said wires being sufllciently long to extend beyond the cast, a spindle, a drum provided with a circumferential groove, the said drum tapering outwardly to form enlarged ends adapted to roll directly on the said cast and to space the middle portion of the drum and the said groove away from the cast, the said drum being feathered on the said spindle whereby the drum may be shifted axially in coiling the wires thereon, and means for securing th said free end of the wire in the said drum groove.

3. In a device for removing a cast from a body limb, the combination of a pair of wires placed, preparatory to forming the said cast, next to the limb and on opposite sides thereof, the said wires being provided at one end with means for anchoring the said ends in the cast, the said wires being sufiiciently long to extend beyond the cast, a spindle, a drum on the said spindle provided with a pair of circumferential grooves, one for each of the said pair of wires, the said drum tap ring outwardly to form enlarged ends adapted to roll directly on the said cast and to space the middle portion of the drum and the said, pair of grooves away from the cast, and means for securing the said free end of the wires in the said drum grooves.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein the said wire anchoring means comprises a length of tubing coiled along the said end of the wire to form an enlargement.

5. The combination according to claim 3 wherein the said wire securing means comprises a passage drilled through the said drum at the said circumferential grooves.

6. The combination according to claim 3 further provided With handwheels at each end of the said spindle.

EDWARD S. RINALDY. 

